Winning Hanfa’s Award and More: Elisa Bellesi’s Story in Finance
Elisa Bellesi is an analyst based in Zagreb, Croatia, with a strong academic background and a growing career in finance. After earning her master’s in finance from the University of Rijeka, where she graduated magna cum laude, Elisa won 1st place at Hanfa's Annual Award for her outstanding research.
Currently serving as a junior analyst in the Systemic Risk department of the Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency, Elisa participated as a panelist at Best Stay 2023, where she contributed her expertise on financial analysis and risk management.
Elisa, could you briefly introduce yourself and share your background in finance and academia?
My name is Elisa Bellesi. I recently completed my master's in Finance at the University of Rijeka, where I also did my undergraduate studies in Economics and graduated with honors, magna cum laude, in 2022. During my time at university, I had the opportunity to serve as a student tutor in Econometrics and Financial Management.
In 2022, I was honored to win first place at Hanfa's Annual Award for students, which recognized my scientific paper. Following that, I worked as a financial analyst at Aestus Group for about a year and a half. Currently, I am a junior analyst in the Systemic Risk department at the Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency. In addition to my professional experience, I am fluent in several languages, including Italian, Croatian, English, French, and Spanish.
How did you first hear about the Best Stay event, and what motivated you to participate?
I first heard about the Best Stay event from one of my professors at the University of Rijeka. What motivated me to participate was the opportunity to connect with industry professionals and gain insights into the skills employers and managers look for in candidates.
As a young professional, I found this to be a crucial step in my career development.
What aspects of the Best Stay event did you find most valuable or impactful for your professional and academic growth?
One of the most valuable aspects of the Best Stay event was the discussions with employers and managers about the soft and hard skills they seek in candidates. These conversations provided me with a deeper understanding of what is required in the professional world and were instrumental in helping me identify areas for personal and professional improvement.
Can you share a memorable moment or highlight from your experience at the Best Stay event?
A particularly memorable moment for me was participating in the student debate. It was incredibly helpful to hear the perspectives of other young people and more seasoned professionals. The exchange of ideas and opinions during the debate was enlightening and provided me with new insights that I have carried forward in my professional journey.
What specific skills or knowledge areas are you looking to develop further as you advance in your career as an analyst?
As I advance in my career, I am looking to further develop my skills in data analytics and modeling. I also want to improve my understanding of systemic risk management and regulatory frameworks. I am also learning programming languages (R specifically) to be able to improve my data analysis and visualization skills.
What are your career aspirations after completing your master’s degree in finance, and how do you plan to achieve them?
After completing my master’s degree in finance, I plan to continue learning about systemic risk management and financial analysis. I aim to further develop my skills in these areas and possibly continue my formal learning journey by applying to a postgraduate program.
How do you see your multilingual abilities playing a role in your future professional development?
Even though I’m still young, my language skills have already offered me many opportunities. They are very important and allow me to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders, work on international projects, and understand different market dynamics.
I believe my multilingual abilities will continue to be a key asset in my professional development.
What advice would you give to other Economics students considering participating in industry events like Best Stay?
I would tell them to say yes to every opportunity that brings them closer to the industry. Academia is great, but it's often far from the reality of the sector. Industry events like Best Stay also provide networking opportunities and a real-world perspective that you can't get in the classroom.
Embrace these experiences to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and professional practice.
What do you think is the most important value to uphold in professional life, and why?
As someone at the beginning of my career, I recognize that I still have a lot to learn and may make more mistakes compared to my more experienced colleagues. What I believe is crucial for managers is knowing that they can count on their employees.
Being reliable means they can trust you to deliver, and being consistent means maintaining a high standard of work without dipping below a certain level of quality. These values build trust and demonstrate professionalism, which are key to long-term success.
I think that the technicalities of the job can be learned, but being consistent and reliable is what makes you stand out.